Pure Michigan gets $10 million boost in late night Legislature

Lawmakers greenlighted a $10 million transfusion from the 21st Century Fund for the Pure Michigan early today, Friday.

Lawmakers greenlighted a $10 million transfusion from the 21st Century Fund for the Pure Michigan early today, Friday.

The lame duck leadership negotiated with Gov. Jennifer Granholm throughout Thursday afternoon and into the evening about funding for the Pure Michigan campaign, which was set to have key winter tourism advertisements be cut this week.

Earlier this week tourism advocates throughout Michigan, including Northern Michigan Chambers of Commerce and local ski resorts, urged the departing Legislature to approve a $25 million balance for advertisements next year. The $10 million one-time funds will keep the ad campaign funded to purchase late winter and critical early spring advertisements targeting early summer reservations for the state.

House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer, R-Kewadin, was optimistic late Thursday that a source of funding would be approved after being involved in the administrative negotiations, though the exact amount remained in discussions.

"The good news is we are going to have some funding for the winter season," Elsenheimer said.

Combined with about $5 million budgeted for the coming year, the added $10 million puts the Pure Michigan campaign at the same funding level as 2010. Granholm and other advocates have regularly called for the campaign to be funded at $30 million -- the amount budgeted in its first year.

The Senate approved the use for $10 million from the $75 million 21st Century Fund by a 33-2 vote in favor, with the House following in the early morning hours with a 88-6 vote. The fund was established in 2005 to help foster new industry growth in Michigan.

Sen. Jason Allen, R-Alanson, said at about 3 a.m. that this money would keep the campaign alive.

"It's going to give us a great ability to come up with short-term funding for this year's winter and early spring program," Allen said.

Both Elsenheimer and Allen were involved in crafting the language dedicating a portion of the funds to the winter tourism season.

Local tourism supporters were pleased with the temporary solution, because of the quick movement of the Legislature.

"If they (pulled) this out of lame duck, it really emphasizes the importance of this campaign to me for the state of Michigan," said Carlin Smith, Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce president, prior to the final votes.

With a short-term solution for the Pure Michigan campaign now in place by the exiting Legislature, it puts the ever-complicated means of permanent funding on the incoming leadership and new governor.

Gov.-elect Rick Snyder said this week he would take up funding the Pure Michigan campaign if the Legislature failed to do so.

Snyder spokesman Bill Nowling reiterated to the News-Review Snyder's dedication to keeping Pure Michigan running on televisions across the nation, although he did not favor a specific funding mechanism.

"Governor-elect Snyder supports funding the Pure Michigan marketing program and thinks the 2-to-1 return on tax-dollar investment makes a compelling argument of why it should be funded now," Nowling said.

Whether the governor and incoming Northern Michigan lawmakers will be able to keep Pure Michigan on the air and still address the $1.5 billion state deficit remains to be seen.